


Sleepless Eremite

by Snowfall66



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 2.35am, Bright Star - Freeform, F/M, Forgiveness, John Keats - Freeform, Random addition of a little bit of sonnet cause why not, Stars, Sweet, during deathly hallows, this took me wayyyyy too long to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:34:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27998328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowfall66/pseuds/Snowfall66
Summary: Ron and Hermione talk after Ron found them again in deathly hallows and maybe there's some reconciliation, maybe there's some forgiveness, maybe there's just some star gazing whos to say.This was requested ages ago and I only just got round to finishing it (oops sorry my bad) hope you like it though. xx
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley (mentioned), Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 11
Kudos: 19





	Sleepless Eremite

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Allythegreat1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allythegreat1/gifts).



It was late, 2:35 am to be precise, which Hermione did often strive to be, but precise measurements didn’t mean much in the real world. It was somewhat of a painful realisation for the young witch when she figured out that her books and facts didn’t hold a candle to friendship and love, she was thankful she realised the truth before the war really started. Out here her books and facts were helpful but friendship and love kept them alive, maybe that was why Ron leaving hurt so much, then again maybe it was something else entirely.

The cold as she stepped out of the tent was a harsh reminder of reality, it brought her back to the clearing where they’d set up camp, the snow that still clung to the ground with a stubbornness that reminded her of Molly Weasley or Ginny when quidditch or Harry was involved. Harry was sat on his bunk right now, staring at the map, looking for her name, following her movements. Hermione’s heart ached for the wizard she would happily call her brother, pulled away from the one he loved, knowing what he must do before he could return to her but having no idea how to do it. 

“You can go back to sleep, everything's okay out here.”

Speaking of love, the man she’d been in love with for going on three years was sat on a boulder fiddling with his wand. He didn’t look at her when he spoke and she froze feeling like she’d been caught spying on him.

“I didn’t know you knew I was here.”

Ron chuckled and Hermione shook her head chasing away her shock and the remnants of sleep.

“I mean… you just startled me.”

“Sorry.”

“It's okay.”

There was silence, Ron kept his eyes on the stars and Hermione kept her eyes on him.

“You should go get some rest, I’ll take over watch.”

She took a few tentative steps forward and finally he looked up at her. There were bags under his eyes, when he came back she thought it was the stress of being alone on the run but in the three days since he returned they’ve only gotten worse. His face was sunken in, his skin so pale each freckle stood out like the stars against the black night sky, but he still smiled at her.

“I’m okay, you go back to sleep.”

Hermione huffed and for a second they were back in the common room arguing over study schedules. Part of her wished that were true, wished they could go back to such trivial worries, the rest of her knew that they couldn’t. 

Not having the energy to protest Hermione simply summons a blanket from inside, draping it over his shoulders before sitting on the ground next to him, pulling the sleeves of her jumper down over her hands.

“You're going to freeze out here in your pyjama’s.”

“Please its hardly hypothermia weather just a bit chilly. Besides you’ve been out here long enough and haven’t lost a limb yet.”

Ron smiled once more chuckling slightly and it made Hermione smile too, not that she let him see. The tall ginger shuffled over on his boulder before patting the space next to him.

“C’mon we can conserve body heat like those penguins you were telling me about.”

Hermione pulled a confused face before realisation hit and she laughed as he pulled her up to sit next to him.

“Ron that must have been over a year ago.”

Ron just shrugged shifting the blanket so it led across both their shoulders then returning to his stargazing. They sat in silence and Hermione wasn’t entirely sure if it was peaceful or awkward, she wasn’t entirely sure whether she forgave him or not and she definitely wasn’t sure what possessed her to sit out here with him in the early hours of the morning instead of dragging him in by his ears insisting they each get some rest.

He stifled a yawn, tried to hide it by rubbing his nose but after six years of friendship, she knew Harry and Ron better than she knew anyone, including herself.

“Ron have you slept at all since you got back.”

She said ‘got back’ as if he had returned home instead of found them in the middle of the forest completely by chance. 

“Ummm I don’t know, I’m fine though.”

“Ronald…”

The warning in her voice was familiar yet different, it was almost the same tone she’d always used when he was being frustrating or not entirely honest but it was gentler, more understanding and Ron couldn’t decide whether it was better or worse. Either way he knew he wouldn’t get away without telling the truth, lying to his genius friend has never really worked.

“I just haven’t been able to.” He sighed, speaking to the stars.

“After I left you guys I spent every day trying to get back to you and every night praying you were okay. I had nightmares of you getting captured, tortured and I was always just stood there watching, I couldn’t move, couldn’t help you.”

There was a pause.

“Me and Harry?” Hermione’s question was tentative, she didn’t quite know what she wanted the answer to be.

“No.”  
Ron looked at her then his eyes blazing but not with his usual anger, it was only for a second, not long enough for her to name the emotion.

“You’ve never been out of my reach like that Hermione, even all those times we argued you were still at Hogwarts, I could always get to you if I needed to. Well except when I was unconscious.”

Hermione giggled at that which in turn made Ron chuckle. She looked at him for a moment, noted the faint stubble on his chin, the way his longer hair made him look more like Charlie or Bill and his blue eyes that were once full with childlike envy instead shined with… something.

“It scared me ‘Mione, not being able to get to you so now I don’t sleep. I sit out here on watch, or in my bunk ‘cause now I’m back and your okay, I need to make sure you stay that way. I failed you, Hermione, I won't do it again.”

“Oh Ron…”

He shook his head turning back to the stars and it was quiet once more. Hermione couldn’t look at him anymore, even she had an emotional limit and him admitting that he spent all of his time away worrying about her brought up more emotions than she was prepared to deal with at 3.04 am.

“Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art—  
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night,” She spoke softly and he let himself watch her as she recited the lines stuck in her mind.

"And watching, with eternal lids apart,  
Like nature’s patient, sleepless Eremite,”

Ron wasn’t sure quite what she was saying but as always he liked the way she said it. He couldn’t help but study the way her hair, as wild as ever, fell around her shoulders, the way her fingertips, peeking out from her jumper, tapped her leg like a piano, the way her eyes scanned the sky, looking for answers she won't find outside of her own heart.

“The moving waters at their priestlike task  
Of pure ablution round earth’s human shores,  
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask  
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors …”

He waited for the explanation knowing there would be one, as smart as Hermione was one of her greatest desires was to share what she knew with others.

“John Keats, I can only remember the first part but he talks about the fragility and inconsistency of human life.”

Ron raised an eyebrow still unsure what her point was, sometimes her explanations needed explanations. At least his confusion made her giggle.

“Meaning we don’t know where our lives will take us or when they will end. I don’t think we can really know how are choices will play out until its too late and that's just something we have to live with. You aren’t perfect Ron, you made a mistake whilst being influenced by one of the most evil objects in the wizarding world. You came back though and if you keep letting that one choice, that one mistake eats you up inside you won't see where else life will take you.”

Hermione blushed at the impressed look on Ron's face.

“Well, it's true.”

Ron chuckled which set Hermione giggling until they were both sat under the stars and the blanket laughing hard enough that they would have woken Harry up if he ever slept either.

“So does this mean I’m forgiven?”

Hermione hummed moving closer to the tall ginger and resting her head on his shoulder.

“Tell the story about the ball of light hitting your heart again, then we’ll see.”


End file.
